


Safe is Dead

by LunaReilynn



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Everyone Needs A Hug, Gen, My First AO3 Post, Sokka (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Sokka (Avatar)-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 02:53:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29446602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaReilynn/pseuds/LunaReilynn
Summary: Uhhh first fic? But it's not?Basically it's just the day of the southern raiders.I'm just practicing writing and if it's good enough I'll make it a chapter for a fic in the future.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	Safe is Dead

**Author's Note:**

> Tw for some descriptions of death and minor gore.

This morning they had 32 member of their tribe. 

The day had started with him and katara  
Building snowforts. Summer decided to be graceful. The days were long, the crisp winds no longer bit their face as often.  
Dad wasn't usually around in weather as nice as this since the lack of snow storms offered the opportunity to travel to nearby Earth Kingdom islands for supplies. But for untold reasons the men had stayed put. They enjoyed their days as any other, but it was clear there was a lingering tension in the air. Sokka didn't ask, he was just glad he had more time to spend with his father (maybe he could convince him to take him to go with the other men next time, he was 10 after all, practically a teenager) 

How could he have known that the reason they had only stayed because one of their men had gotten captured by the firenation? That he had gotten "there's only one left" tortured out of him? That they had only stayed to protect their home of the likely raid that was to come? That said raid would occur today? 

Sokka had never seen a Fire Nation ships up this close. Every so often if he sneaked onto the watchtower (wich he has *greatly* contributed his hard work onto building thank you very much), he could catch the occasional smoke tail from the stupid metal ships over the horizon.  
Smoke and ashes reeked like char. Katara had run off to warn Mom before he could protest. Mom is safe. Katara will be fine if as long as she listens to her and stays with her. 

As a basically-teenager, it would be a good idea to help out in fighting off the ashmakers. He's never seen one either, but they were still people (ha, barely), which meant they could get hurt.  
  
He'd only taken out one or two of em with his snowballs, and of course, his trusty boomerang skills before they started retreated. Cowards. He should be cheering, flipping the ships off as the rest of the warriors were, but a lingering dread told him he needed to find Katara.

Why would they leave so soon? Sure the Southern Water Tribe was fierce, but from what he'd heard, the Fire Nation was ruthless, only taking and destroying. They'd certainly left a mess of burnt canoes and destroyed huts. A good chunk of the wall no longer existed  
Ok it was a big mess, but why had they come? It was summer, but the south's weather was far from suitable for firebenders. Why waste fuel and men to invade a remote village for a few minutes only to retreat with nothing to show for it?  
Sokka had known that the more recent raids occurred before he was even born and mostly for the sole purpose of weakening their tribe by imprisoning (or killing) waterbenders, but Katara-

She was fine. Mom is safe. So as long as she had listened, she'd be safe with her. 

the second his body had entered the igloo, he was hit with the smell of char again and the smell of burnt flesh. The sickening metallic smell of blood was almost as strong. he saw the dead(..?) body. There was a severe burn running from its chest to it's neck. It took too long for her own son to process it was his mom. Dad was there too, at least physically, but it was obvious his eyes were vacant. Katara's trembling form was huddled up beside him wailing loudly, though her cries were worn and tired.  
He looked back at mom he noticed her eyes were still open, lips slightly parted, skin pale, lacking of the life she had just less than an hour ago and getting greater by the minutes. Her arms, were for a very brief time clutched to her wound.  
From then on, he knew that her cold lifeless face, that for a second were filled with pain (and before that love and pride for her family that would never be shown from her again) would be scorched into his brain like the wound like the wound on her body, but unlike her he'd remain alive with the scar.  
Mom was safe. Mom was gone. So while Hakoda was still gone, he gripped on to him like his life depended on it because he needed to bring him back. He couldn't let him be gone too.   
  
This morning they had 32 members of their tribe. But as morning became noon, 32 became 31, and for a short time, 31 became 30, until his father came back, and Sokka's hug was finally returned to him and katara.  
He let himself cry silently on his father's fur coat. Just a bit, because Katara matered more, she problably found her first. He could have stopped her, prevented her from seeing this. Dad couldn't always be with them, so when he'd leave, Sokka would be the new safe. Protect her and make her smile again.  
They didn't let go of each other, not today, because they were all that was left, and the muffled celebration of the tribe continued, unaware they had lost Kya.

The tribe would eventually search and find their chief. the night would fall silent.


End file.
